ILLUS-3700

TWO LEGGED PRINT

Faculty: Randy Willier

Course Level: Freshman, Sophomore, Junior, Senior, 5th Year, Graduate

3 CREDITS

This course explores the creation of communicative images within the format of the T-shirt. We will begin with an overview of the historical and contemporary use of the printed shirt as a vehicle for commercial and personal advertising, humor, advocacy, social protest, and as a badge of personal identity: the phenomenon of using the body as a substrate for images aimed at passersby. Students will learn and practice the art of serigraphy – silkscreen printing – and will develop designs through a variety of techniques, from simple handmade stencils to the use of photo/computer technology. Assignments will progress through a series of developmental phases, and in-class critiques will play an important role in shaping concepts and designs. We will also investigate the business/commercial side of silkscreening, including the construction of a home studio, record keeping and marketing.

Each student will begin by designing a visual “persona” which will then be implemented as a printed t-shirt design. For the rest of the term, students are given the freedom to explore and create their own individual concepts, adjusting concept and approach in response to group critique, and building proficiency in the technique. The lab fee provides for nearly all the materials necessary for production during the course; the only real out-of-pocket expenses come from the purchase of T-shirts or other printable materials.